Page 161 of Sinning for Santa

I can see Devon’s men drawing closer to the man, none of them concerned with Frankie, who could totally be unhinged enough to attack anyone at this point.

“Knock knock, I’m inside your room now.”

“STOP!!” he cries, pressing his hands to his ears as he drops the knife.

Miles lurches forward, as do another two men, taking the man down to the ground, and our singing cuts off.

With my eyes trained on Frankie, I can see disappointment rush over her expression, and I know it’s because Devon’s men interrupted her.

She was on the hunt.

“Stay down, motherfucker!” one of Devon’s men yells, and Frankie’s eyes dart from them to the knife laying forgotten on the leafy floor of the woods.

It feels like it happens in slow motion, Frankie leaping from the shadows, her eyes trained on the glint of the blade, the men too preoccupied to notice the threat to their lives is still very real.

“No!” I try to tug away from Devon, whose arms are like talons holding me in place, but at my scream, everyone stills.

“Frankie,” Finn hisses, stepping forward and catching her attention.

It’s not good attention though. Her eyes are dark. Fierce. Deranged.

“Put it down!” Finn orders, and a slow sinister smirk spreads her lips as her chilling laugh meets our ears again.

“No,” she sneers, taking a step closer to Devon’s men, who now have the man kneeling.

“Why?” Finn asks. “Do you know this man?”

She slowly shakes her head, flashing her teeth as she sets her sights on the man again.

“Then why do you want to kill him?”

Her head snaps in Finn’s direction again, and it looks like she wants to kill him as well, so I’m surprised she answers.

“He was chasing the girl. He hit her. I didn’t like it.”

I grin.

She’s seen it before I bet. Inside that place we both have in common.

I wonder how many times she tried to kill Dr Xavier or his men.

I think I like her.

“Where’s Melissa? The other girl?” Finn asks, and a small voice calls to us through the dark woods.

“I’m here!”

Sighs of relief rush through all of the men, and Lenny and another man veer off into the dark in the direction of Melissa’s voice.

When Frankie takes another step forward, Miles raises his gun at her, and this time when I pull against Devon’s hold, he releases me.

“Wait!” I yell, stepping closer, my eyes darting between Frankie and Miles. “Don’t shoot her.”

“Jaxcen,” Devon sneers, and the twig snapping behind me tells me he’s coming closer but I move quickly so Frankie can see my face.

“You want to kill this man?” I ask, and she gives me a single nod.

“What about these other men? Do you want to kill them?”

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